THE attention of four Cebu City barangay officials have been called, while more than 500 residents have been issued citation tickets for violating environmental laws and ordinances.
All of these were done by the Cebu City Environment and Natural Resources Office (Cenro) one month after Mayor Edgardo Labella issued a directive to 80 barangay captains to sustain the cleanliness of their barangays. The mayor has threatened to suspend non-compliant village officials.
Republic Act (RA) 9003 (the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act of 2000) states that local government officials and government agencies’ officers who fail to comply with and enforce rules and regulations promulgated by the law shall be charged administratively in accordance with RA 7160 (the Local Government Code of 1991) and other existing laws, rules and regulations.
If proven that a barangay official has violated any environmental law, the mayor has the authority to impose preventive suspension on the official as stated under Section 63 of the Local Government Code.
Zapatera Barangay Captain Francisco Benedicto was one of the barangay officials whose attention was called by the Cenro.
This happened after a photo of men throwing sacks of garbage into a vacant lot near Gen. Echavez St. was circulated online sometime in July 2019. The men were reportedly workers at the Zapatera Barangay Hall.
City Councilor Phillip Zafra said Benedicto was given 10 days to explain his side. The grace period started last Friday, Sept. 27.
Zafra is a member of the committee that was formed by the current City Council to look into barangay affairs.
The committee will also summon Benedicto when the hearing starts.
Zafra said the committee will discuss and decide on the matter before it can make its recommendation to the City Council, which also has the power to suspend the barangay captain as provided by RA 7160, said Zafra.
SunStar Cebu tried to get the comment of Benedicto, but he refused to comment. Aside from Benedicto, three other barangay officials were also called by the Cenro. However, Cenro head John Jigo Dacua declined to name them.
“We are serious in implementing our environmental laws and ordinances. Rest assured we will be strict in implementing (such laws),” Dacua said.
Aside from the officials, more than 500 residents were issued citations for violating City Ordinances 1361 (anti-littering ordinance) and 2031 (no segregation, no collection of garbage).
Majority of these violators were identified for not having their own toilets; they threw their wastes directly into the river. The violators were given 45 days from the day they were issued citation tickets to build their communal toilets.
The minimum administrative fine is P1,000. From August to mid-September this year, the Cenro has been able to collect about P500,000 in fines from the violators.
Dacua said they are conducting a series of meetings with the violators to educate them. JJL